Aadhaar card Features and benefits

Aadhaar is a unique number Meaning for Aadhaar is "foundation" in Indian languages, is the term for the unique identity number issued by the UIDAI. No resident can have a duplicate number since it is linked to their individual biometrics; thereby identifying fake and ghost identities which result in leakages today.Savings from eliminating duplicates and fakes through Aadhaar-based identification will further enable governments to expand benefits to other eligible residents.

Electronic Benefit Transfer :

The Unique Identification department enabled Bank Account network will offer a secure and low cost platform to directly remit benefits to residents without the heavy costs associated today with benefit distribution; the leakages in the current system will also be stemmed as a result.

Portability: Aadhaar  is a universal number, and agencies and services can contact the central Unique Identification database from anywhere in the country to confirm a beneficiary's identity.

Self service puts Residents in control:

While using the Aadhar  as an authentication mechanism, residents should be able to access up-to-date information about their entitlements, demand services and redress their grievances directly from their mobile phone, kiosks or other means. In the case of self-service on the resident's mobile, security is assured using two-factor authentication (i.e. by proving possession of the resident's registered Mobile Number and knowledge of the resident's Aadhaar PIN). These standards are compliant with the Reserve Bank of India's approved standards for Mobile Banking and Payments.

Aadhaar  -based authentication to confirm entitlement delivered to the beneficiary: 

The Unique Identification Authority of India  will offer online authentication services for agencies who wish to validate a resident's identity; this service will enable confirmation of the entitlement actually reaching the intended beneficiary. Improved services through increased transparency: Clear accountability and transparent monitoring would significantly improve access and quality of entitlements to beneficiaries and the agency alike.

aadhaar application status

aadhaar correction application form

Aadhaar card based e-kyc Sample process flow would be as follows in bank

1. Customer walks into CSP of a bank with his/her 12-digit Aadhaar number and explicit consent and requests to open a bank account with Aadhaar based e-KYC.

2. Bank representative manning the CSP enters the number into bank’s eKYC application software.

3. The customer inputs his/her biometrics via a UIDAI compliant biometric reader (e.g. fingerprints on a biometric reader).

4. The software application captures the Aadhaar number along with biometric data, encrypts this data and sends it to UIDAI’s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).

5. The Aadhaar KYC service authenticates customer data. If the Aadhar number does not match with the biometrics, UIDAI server responds with an error with various reason codes depending on type of error (asdefined by UIDAI).

6. If the Aadhaar number matches with the biometrics, UIDAI responds with digitally signed and encrypted demographic information [Name,year/date of birth, Gender, Address, Phone and email (if available)] and photograph. This information is captured by bank’s e-KYC application and processed as needed.

7. Bank’s servers auto populate the demographic data and photograph in relevant fields. It also records the full audit trail of e-KYC viz. source of information, digital signatures, reference number, original request generation number, machine ID for device used to generate the request, date and time stamp with full trail of message routing, UIDAI encryption date and time stamp, bank’s decryption date and time stamp,etc.

8. The photograph and demographics of the customer can be seen on the screen of computer at bank branches or on a hand held device of BCs for reference.

9. The customer can open bank account subject to satisfying other account opening requirements.

Aadhar card e-kyc acceptance of Reserve bank of india

Operational Procedure to be followed by banks for e-KYC exercise

The e-KYC service of the UIDAI is be leveraged by banks through a secured network.

Any bank willing to use the UIDAI e-KYC service is required to sign an agreement with the UIDAI. The process flow to be followed is as follows:

A. Sign KYC User Agency (KUA) agreement with UIDAI to enable the bank to

specifically access e-KYC service.

B. Banks to deploy hardware and software for deployment of e-KYC service across various delivery channels. These should be Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Institute, Department of Electronics & Information

Technology, Government of India certified biometric scanners at bank branches/ micro ATMs/ BC points as per UIDAI standards. 

C. Develop a software application to enable use of e-KYC across various Customer Service Points (CSP) (including bank branch, BCs etc.) as per UIDAI defined Application Programming Interface (API) protocols. For this purpose banks will have to develop their own software under the broad guidelines of UIDAI. Therefore, the software may differ from bank to bank.

D. Define a procedure for obtaining customer authorization to UIDAI for sharing eKYC data with the bank. This authorization can be in physical (by way of a written explicit consent authorising UIDAI to share his/her Aadhaar data with the bank/BC for the purpose of opening bank account) /electronic form as defined by UIDAI from time to time. 

The eKYC service offered by UIDAI will enable individuals to authorise service providers to receive electronic copy of their proof of identity and address. This is a first of its kind service, on any public platform. The service makes KYC instantaneous, totally secure and paperless while enhancing privacy of data. It brings business efficiency and opens doors to innovative service provision in a manner never experienced before on a comparable scale.

eKYC service can be deployed by different agencies to verify a resident's identity and address. Only DEMOGRAPHIC information (Name, Address, Date of Birth, Gender, Photograph & Mobile Number) that is collected during Aadhaar card enrolment will be shared, at the request of, and/or with the consent of the Aadhaar card holder.